Process of electroplating with alloys



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD T. BURROWES, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

PROCESS OF ELECTROPLATING WITH ALLOYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 477,350, dated June 21,1892. Application filed November '7, 1891. Serial No. 413,338. (Nospecimens.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD T. BURROWES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Port- 1and,in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine,have invented certain new and usef Lil Improvements in Processes ofElcctroplating with Alloys; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

It is very desirable that some substitute vbe produced for the ordinaryiron-wire screencloth from which door and window screens are made. Thereis a demand for something which will not rust or change color by thenecessary exposure which such articles are subjected to, and whilebright Wire-netting composed either of brass, copper, or compositionavoids the objection first above mentioned it will tarnish,becomingspotted and exceedingly dilapidated and, if possible, more unsightlythan rusty iron wire. Bright wire of som e sort is preferable to ironfor wire-screening for various reasons, among which may be mentioned itsdurability and its smooth and finished surface; but its objectionablefeatures, as noted above, will prevent such wire in its original statefrom taking the place of the ordinary iron wire.

The present invention relates to wire screencloth when made of brass,copper, or composition.

The object of the invention is to so treat screen-cloth made from brass,copper, or composition or any bright smoothly-finished wire as todiminish its excessive brightness, toning it down to a darker and moresubdued color,

rendering it less conspicuous and better adapted for house-screen use.

To this end my invention consists in subjecting the brightwire-screening to an electroplating process, the solution being composed of thirty pounds of copper sulphate, one and one-half ouncecaustic potash, ten pounds sulphate zinc, six ounces chloride of tin,five pounds sal-ammoniac, and eight ounces of muriate of iron. This Ideposit electrocally by means of an anode composed of copper, tin,andzinc, the necessary proportions being eight pounds of the copper and oneand one-half pounds each of the tin and the zinc.

This plating process changes the brightwire screening to a finedark-brown color resembling statuary bronze, thus giving screens a richand attractive appearance, but not conspicuously so, and the .color soobtained will be permanent and not liable to be affected by theatmosphere.

Having described my improvement, what I claim, and desire to patent, is-

The herein-described process for coloring bright wire netting, whichconsists in placing it in a solution composed of copper sulphate,caustic potash, zinc sulphate, chloride of tin, sal-ammoniac, andmuriate of iron and passing a current to it from an anode of copper,tin, and zinc.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD T. BURROWES.

Witnesses GEO. I-I. ALLAN, EDWIN T. DYER.

